Kanafeh/Künefe (Sweet Cheese Pastry)

Posted on August 14th, 2017

From ClosetCooking

A few months ago I got an email inviting me to explore Israel, it's people and it's cuisine on a project called Taste of Israel put on by a group called Stand With Us. At first I was a little leery about the offer but after a bit of research it seemed legit and it was an opportunity that I simply could not pass up and so I went! It turned out to be an absolutely amazing experience filled with lots of great people and of course plenty of amazing food! I enjoyed a lot of dishes in Israel and I just had to try making a few of them at home and sharing them with you!

Bourekas

Posted on August 7th, 2017

BY LEAH KOENIG for The Nosher for myjewishlearning.com

A crunchy Israeli classic.

Bourekas are nothing short of edible perfection — heavenly little parcels of dough crisped with hot oil or melted butter and stuffed with any number of delicious savory ingredients. Nutritious and filling, they make a satisfying meal any time of day. And like Italy’s calzone, Spain’s empanada, and India’s samosa, these pastries are self-contained, which makes them the perfect portable snack to power an afternoon spent browsing through the shuk (Israeli market), or just about any other activity.

How a Chinese-Jewish chef finds inspiration on a North Dakota farm

By Gabe Friedman for JTA

Not much could have prepared Molly Yeh for moving from New York City to Grand Forks, North Dakota — a city of a little over 50,000 residents near the state’s eastern border with Minnesota.

At the time of her move in 2013, Yeh (pronounced “yay,” as her website explains with several exclamation points) was a Juilliard graduate and classically trained percussionist playing professional gigs around New York City. She often hosted concerts in her Brooklyn apartment and enjoyed biking around the city with her then-boyfriend to see how many shows and events they could cram into one day.

S’mores Rugelach

Posted on July 24th, 2017

By BRITTANY FISHMAN PAIS for The Nosher for myjewishlearning.com

The One Rugelach Recipe You Need This Summer

I am always ready to bake up treats for an outdoor picnic celebration. And Lag B’omer, the 33rd day of the Omer, is a time to celebrate friends, families and the change in seasons. It is traditional to have a bonfire on this joyous day, and so what better to have at around the campfire than s’mores rugelach.

Of course these sweet, gooey rugelach are perfect for any outdoor celebration or summertime gathering, campfire or not. But I must warn you: they are so addictive you may have a hard time sharing.

Pastries, Filled With History

By Leah Koenig for Tablet Magazine

In Seattle’s Sephardic synagogues, women have come together to bake for more than a century. Will a younger generation continue the tradition?

On a recent Monday morning at Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, one of two Sephardic synagogues in Seattle, Rachel Almeleh was up to her elbows in dough. As a volunteer with the synagogue’s ladies auxiliary group she, along with a dozen or so others, had come to bake, as she does almost every week.

With her easy laugh bubbling over the din, Almeleh sat at a folding table covered with parchment-lined baking trays and bowls of mashed potato, spinach, and cheese. She kibbitzed (or more accurately, “echar lashon,” which means chit-chat in Ladino) with the other women, and the occasional man, while rolling, stuffing, and crimping dough into the savory pastries that are central to Sephardic cuisine. “People are always laughing and joking while we bake,” Almeleh said. “There’s a great camaraderie.”